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Books for Keeps 230 - the children's book magazine online

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BfK No. 230 - May 2018
BfK 230 May 2018

This issue’s cover illustration is from The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli. Thanks to Usborne Publishing for their help with this May cover.
Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 230 May 2018.

BfK No. 230 Articles

Editorial 230

Get ready for Empathy Day: Miranda McKearney looks forward to 12thJune
Rebels with a Cause: Fen Coles on The Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction

Rebels with a Cause: Fen Coles on the Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction
How do we measure up?

Children’s books as a mirror to society, how do they measure up? asks Chitra Soundar
Authograph 230 Brian Conaghan

Brian Conaghan interview by Joy Court
Windows into Illustration: Kate Hindley

Windows into Illustration: Kate Hindley
11 of the best football reads for children

Ten of the Best: the best football books chosen by Jim Sells of the National Literacy Trust
Beyond the Secret Garden ‘In Times of Peril’: Britons, Asians, Muslims

Part three in Darren Chetty and Karen Sands-O’Connor’s series looking at representations of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic voices in children’s books.
The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal Shortlist 2018

The Kate Greenaway Medal 2018 shortlist appraised by Derek Brazell
The CILIP Carnegie Medal shortlist 2018

The Carnegie Medal shortlist appraised by Nicholas Tucker
Hidden: from page to stage

Miriam Halahmy on the new adaptation of her novel Hidden

An interview with Lauren St John

Michelle Pauli interview Lauren St John
Two Children Tell: Filling in the Gaps

Two Children Tell: Filling in the picture book gaps
I Wish I’d Written: Sarah Govett

I Wish I’d Written… Sarah Govett chooses
Good Reads 230

Good Reads for Empathy Day, chosen by primary school pupils

Classics in Short No 129: The Little Grey Men, Last of the Little People

The Little Grey Men, Last of the Little People
The Little Rebels Award in 2018

Judge Darren Chetty reflects on the 2018 Little Rebels Prize.
A Q&A INTERVIEW WITH JULIA GRAY, AUTHOR OF LITTLE LIAR

The author answers questions on her novel Little Liar
AN INTERVIEW WITH 2018 CARNEGIE MEDAL WINNER GERALDINE McCAUGHREAN

The 2018 Carnegie Medal winner interviewed by Nicholas Tucker

Editor's Choice

The Electrical Venus
Julie Mayhew
(Hot Key Books)
4

Mim’s life is with Grainger’s Side Show along with a “dwaff”, a learned pig and Alex, a boy who has only one arm. Welcome to the world of Georgian entertainment. But this is also the Age of the Enlightenment when scientific discoveries and...

read more

New Talent

The House with Chicken Legs
Sophie Anderson
(Usborne Publishing Ltd)
5

A beautiful and original take on the Tale of Baba Yaga.

Marinka has lived with her grandmother, Baba Yaga all her life, helping her to lead the dead through The Gate to the stars and to enjoy one last wonderful meal together and hear the...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 230

  • Under 5s
  • Ages 5-8
  • Ages 8-10
  • Ages 10-14
  • Ages 14+

Under 5s

  • The Rhythm of the Rain
    Grahame Baker-Smith
    5

  • Sophie Johnson: Unicorn Expert
    Morag Hood
    5

  • The Story of Tantrum O’Furrily
    Cressida Cowell
    5

  • Colour My Days
    Ross Collins
    4

  • Baby Bird
    Andrew Gibbs
    4

  • Is it a Mermaid?
    Candy Gourlay
    3

Ages 5-8

  • The Rhythm of the Rain
    Grahame Baker-Smith
    5

  • After the Fall. How Humpty Dumpty got back up again
    Dan Santat
    5

  • Space Tortoise
    Ross Montgomery
    5

  • Juniper Jupiter
    Lizzy Stewart
    3

  • The Nothing to See Here Hotel
    Steven Butler
    3

Ages 8-10

  • Noah Scape Can’t Stop Repeating Himself
    Guy Bass
    5

  • Charlie and Me: 421 Miles from Home
    Mark Lowery
    5

  • Happyville High: Geek Tragedy
    Tom McLaughlin
    4

  • Kat Wolfe Investigates
    Lauren St John
    4

  • The Secret of the Night Train
    Sylvia Bishop
    4

  • HerStory: 50 women and girls who shook the world
    Katherine Halligan
    4

  • She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History
    Chelsea Clinton
    4

  • Dog Town
    Luize Pastore
    3

  • The Nothing to See Here Hotel
    Steven Butler
    3

Ages 10-14

  • The House with Chicken Legs
    Sophie Anderson
    5

  • Rebound
    Kwame Alexander
    5

  • The Goose Road
    Rowena House
    5

  • Rose Rivers
    Jacqueline Wilson
    4

  • The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day
    Christopher Edge
    4

  • The Wild Folk
    Sylvia Linsteadt
    4

  • A Good Day for Climbing Trees
    Jaco Jacobs
    4

  • Child I
    Steve Tasane
    4

  • Flamingo Boy
    Michael Morpurgo
    3

Ages 14+

  • Stranger
    Keren David
    5

  • Me Mam. Me Dad. Me.
    Malcolm Duffy
    5

  • In Paris With You
    Clementine Beauvais
    5

  • Skylarks
    Karen Gregory
    4

  • The Electrical Venus
    Julie Mayhew
    4

  • The Girl in the Broken Mirror
    Savita Kalhan
    4

  • On a Scale of One to Ten
    Ceylan Scott
    4

  • Ash Princess
    Laura Sebastian
    4

BfK News

WINNERS OF THE 2020 CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS ANNOUNCED

Carnegie Greenaway logo

read more...
CHILDREN READING MORE IN LOCKDOWN

Silly Squad Laura Ellen Anderson

read more...
SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2020 KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE

The shortlist for the Klaus Flugge Prize has been announced. 2020 is the fifth year of the prize, which was set up to honour Klaus Flugge, founder of Andersen Press and an extremely influential figure in children’s picture books. It is awarded to the most promising and exciting newcomer to children’s picture book illustration.

read more...
SHORTLIST FOR THE 2020 BRANFORD BOASE AWARD ANNOUNCED

BBA logo

read more...
UKLA BOOK AWARDS THE SHORTLISTS 2020

UKLA BOOK AWARDS THE SHORTLISTS 2020

read more...
SHORTLISTS FOR THE 2020 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS ANNOUNCED

CILIP CKG logo

The shortlists for the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals, the UK’s oldest book awards for children and young people, have been announced. Selected by Youth Librarians from the 20 strong longlists there are eight books on each of the two lists.

read more...
SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED FOR THE CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD 2020

Children's Book Award

The shortlist for the Children’s Book Award 2020 has been announced. This is the award’s 40th Anniversary year and it remains the only national award for children’s books that is voted for entirely by children. To mark the award’s 40th Anniversary, a new category on the shortlist celebrates the most popular books for teens.

read more...
NEW FUNDING FOR THE LITTLE REBELS AWARD

The Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction has been boosted thanks to £3,500 in new funding from the Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust, bringing the award’s prize money up to £2,000.

Little Rebels logo

read more...
LONGLISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2020 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

CKG logo

The longlists for the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals, the UK’s oldest book awards for children and young people, have been announced.

read more...
LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2020 KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE

The longlist for the 2020 Klaus Flugge Prize has been announced. Now in its fifth year, the Klaus Flugge Prize is awarded to the most promising and exciting newcomer to children’s picture book illustration. It honours Klaus Flugge, founder of publisher Andersen Press and a supremely influential figure in picture books.

Look Up!

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